What you'll learn in this post:<\/h2>\n
[Click any of the section titles below to jump there]<\/p>\n
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- ''This Is a Miracle Drug''<\/a><\/li>\n
- The Cannabis & the Cannabinoid Connection<\/a><\/li>\n
- ''People Won't Hold It Against You''<\/a><\/li>\n
- Taking a Hit Without Getting Lit<\/a><\/li>\n
- ''I Have to Function Safely''<\/a><\/li>\n
- What's the Legality of THC & CBD?<\/a><\/li>\n
- Mainstream Cannabis Acceptance<\/a><\/li>\n
- Summary: THC vs CBD<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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“This Is a Miracle Drug”<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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Poolside in Covina, California, \u201cSylvia\u201d* daintily purses her lips and takes a quick rip of her joint, deceptively potent despite its modest roll. <\/span><\/p>\n
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\u201cI purchase only top shelf stuff. I learned from my kids…quality over quantity,\u201d she smiles through the tendrils of Bubble Gum scents as they waft through the air. <\/span><\/p>\n
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\u201cI have a little bit of everything. Some glaucoma. Nausea from my heart medicine. Arthritis in my hands. And trouble sleeping and anxiety, most of which started when my husband passed away five years ago.\u201d She issues a wry grin and says \u201cNow I don\u2019t have to go out much, so I\u2019ve become quite the bud-tender.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n
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She says this all in an unflinching, matter-of-fact manner, as if describing a medical procedure. \u201cWhen someone recommended medical marijuana years back for all my ailments, I laughed. I hadn\u2019t used the stuff since high school, and even then I was not even a recreational user.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n
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But she got a prescription, and now expertly names of her favorite strains with the energetic vigor of a Napa Valley sommelier. She fingers a particularly purplish offering and notes \u201cWe just got this in. See the hairs on this one? How many crystals? This is super THC-loaded!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n
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Cannabis & the Cannabinoid Connection\u00a0<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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Marijuana\u2019s strains can be as colorful and varied as wildflowers themselves, yet all the plants have a remarkably popular way of discussing and measuring potency: THC<\/strong>.
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All marijuana plants contain dozens of cannabinoids. Some are very well-known. And the undisputed king of all cannabinoids is tetrahydrocannabinol<\/a>. Name-checked in music videos and a familiar acronym to even the most conservative critics, THC sits atop the mountain of infamous marijuana chemical compounds.<\/span><\/p>\n
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When enough is consumed, THC is believed to be primarily responsible for the head rush associated with marijuana, the euphoric \u201chigh\u201d feeling that users crave. When discussed by critics as weed\u2019s role as a gateway drug, this \u201cbuzzed\u201d feeling tops the list as the most worrisome element, leading users down the route to addiction and harder substance abuse.<\/span><\/p>\n
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But amidst the sticky leaves of the bud plant lies a plethora of other compounds and cannabinoids besides THC.<\/span><\/p>\n
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As marijuana cultivation has become a more accepted past-time,<\/span> cultivating methods<\/a> that enhance these other cannabiniods is becoming a serious science for both medical researchers and hobbyists. Chief among them is CBD<\/strong> (we’ll soon uncover the mystery behind THC vs CBD), short for cannabidiol<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n
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Chief difference between THC vs CBD, simply put, is THC gets you stoned and CBD does not. The fact that patients can be treated with CBD without the troublesome side effect of getting stoned has lead to an intense look at CBD\u2019s potential and future uses in both the recreational and medical cannabis industry.<\/span><\/p>\n
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![\"THC](\"https:\/\/getnugg.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/THC-vs-CBD-chemical-structure.jpg\")
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The concept of safer medical marijuana with less side effects opens a world of possibilities of treatments, not just limited to humans.<\/p>\n
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\u201cI\u2019ve even given [medical marijuana] to my dog. She was thirteen and half blind, and her legs started to go,\u201d Sylvia reveals. \u201cFriends told me to put her down, but I just felt she had more time, and I hadn\u2019t tried everything. I heard that there was cannabis oil you could give your pets, and I did the research.\u201d<\/p>\n
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Luther, a surprisingly spry 16 year old dachshund mix, lays glued to Sylvia\u2019s thigh on the couch, contently snoozing the day away. \u201cThis is a miracle drug. Anyone who says otherwise just doesn\u2019t have a clue.\u201d<\/p>\n
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“People Won’t Hold It Against You”<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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\u201cEmily\u201d* sits under the forlorn bleachers of her local high school. Her older boy cousin has had a connect in Berdoo for years. This slummy San Bernardino section of patchworked tract houses and failed commercial ventures projects a declining future through the hazy afternoon sunlight.<\/span><\/p>\n
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An opaque cloud explodes from her mouth as she smoothly slips her vape pen back into her pocket. \u201cVaping is literally the best thing to happen to weed. I vape everywhere now.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n
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The very picture of the recreational user, Emily nonetheless carries the picket fence picture of an ideal child to a tee. Boasting a GPA \u201cin the high 3\u2019s\u201d and a veteran of several school organizations, she has already been accepted to three colleges, with no final decisions made. \u201cI\u2019m still waiting on Stanford, but I don\u2019t know. I\u2019m thinking I may stay local.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n
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![\"THC](\"https:\/\/getnugg.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/THC-vs-CBD-medical-benefits.jpg\")
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\u201cSmoking completely helps me study and keeps me focused. I always figured, rather than some of that nasty chemical stuff, why not use the all-natural stuff I\u2019ve already tried?\u201d she reasons. \u201cI\u2019m not saying we should all self-medicate, but I think smoking weed is much more like drinking coffee or having a cigarette than injecting a needle in your arm.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n
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Especially when you consider how\u00a0the THC vs CBD conversation reveals\u00a0that consuming different types of\u00a0cannabis does not lead to madness and debauchery. Instead, different people can experience\u00a0different medical and recreational applications\u00a0and benefits of marijuana<\/a>.<\/p>\n
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Taking a Hit Without Getting Lit<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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A leading argument against legalization of marijuana is the unpredictable reaction different people have, as well as proper diagnosis\/dosage\/strain versus recreational usage. <\/span><\/p>\n
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See also: 7 Tips to Control Your Cannabis Dosing<\/a><\/strong><\/i><\/h3>\n
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Both THC and CBD are found in marijuana, and both arguably have medicinal qualities. But both can provoke significantly different reactions in people, and this difference has become the central argument in the future of medical marijuana. It truly is: THC vs CBD.<\/span><\/p>\n
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Probably the main difference<\/i> between the two ingredients is the psychoactive component. THC has been well-documented to cause anxiety or paranoia<\/b> among new users. However, CBD is particularly non-psychoactive, meaning there is no feeling of euphoria associated with getting high.<\/span><\/p>\n
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In fact, CBD not only counteracts the effects of THC, it can reduce anxiety<\/b> when administered by itself. Therefore, CBD is favored by the medical community<\/i>, which prefers treatments with little to no side effects.<\/span><\/p>\n
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![\"Cannabis](\"https:\/\/getnugg.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/Cannabis-for-Pain-Relief-Benefits-of-Marijuana.jpg\")
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There is also the element of antipsychotic properties. THC produces psychosis like effects<\/i> but CBD can protect marijuana users from this \u201csuper high.\u201d CBD is actually being tested as a possible anti-psychotic medication and solution for illnesses that range from bi-polar disorder to schizophrenia. <\/span><\/p>\n
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Recent research<\/a> published by Neuropharmacology reveals that CBD \u201cinduces rapid-acting anti-depressant-like\u201d effects. \u201cOur findings indicate that CBD could represent a novel fast antidepressant drug, via enhancing both serotonergic and glutamate cortical signaling,\u201d explained researchers.<\/span><\/p>\n
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Though she had never before heard of the difference of various marijuana chemicals (THC vs CBD), Emily was sold on CBD\u2019s future benefits.<\/span><\/p>\n
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\u201cI\u2019m a huge fan of CBD research!\u201d exclaims Emily. \u201cIf it\u2019s true that you can get the same productive results without the high, the stereotype of the lazy stoner won\u2019t be as relevant anymore. Then maybe people won\u2019t hold it against you when they find out you smoke bud.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n
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“I Have to Function Safely”<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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\u201cBig Truck,\u201d* a mountain of a man easily topping out over 250 pounds, heaves his heavy frame out from his compact car, almost comically too small for his considerable girth. The slight sedan groans with relief as the springs bounce back with relief. <\/span><\/p>\n
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\u201cYou\u2019d think they (his company) could afford something for the larger man,\u201d he cheerfully observes, noting the irony of his moniker coupling with his designated ride. \u201cI\u2019ve always been a pickup kinda guy, but I can\u2019t do off-road anymore. For a while, the hands couldn\u2019t take the shakes.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n
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Big Truck settles comfortably into a kitchen chair and begins nursing a Bud Light. Understandably low key about his identity due to his employment as a delivery driver, he nonetheless is a huge proponent for medical marijuana.<\/span><\/p>\n
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\u201cListen, okay? These hands, I could hardly grip the wheel. Three straight years, and it was a struggle every minute of every day. I\u2019d drive with while biting my fist, to dull the pain of the soreness. But that\u2019s the struggle…I need something for the pain, but I don\u2019t want to be loopy or sleepy all the time. I have to function safely.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n
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![\"THC](\"https:\/\/getnugg.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/THC-vs-CBD-pain.jpg\")
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What’s the Legality of THC & CBD?<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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Ask around, and you’ll find one of the principal uses for marijuana, whether prescribed as medicine or for recreational usage, is a sleep aid. Most of marijuana’s drowsy effects come from the cannabinoid THC, but on the other hand, CBD actually promotes wakefulness.<\/i><\/i><\/span><\/p>\n
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This results in CBD strains of marijuana being a poor choice for those who are trying to use it for sleep aid reasons, but an ideal selection for those who need daily routine functionality with their medical management choices. <\/span><\/p>\n
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CBD-based treatments would also be an appealing treatment option for patients suffering from ailments such as anti-inflammatory, anti-spasm effects, without the lethargy or dysphoria.<\/span><\/p>\n
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As with marijuana itself, the status of CBD and its legality in the United States remains unclear. CBD is technically illegal as it is still considered a Schedule 1 drug under federal law.<\/span><\/p>\n
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But significant gains have been opening the market to new CBD-based alternatives. Only recently was a pharmaceutical version called Epidiolex approved for the market. Produced by GWPharma, the latest version of the marijuana-based medication was used by the FDA and cleared to be tested with children who suffer from severe epilepsy<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n
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Epidiolex trials have been so successful that it has raised the possibility of marijuana refugees, or families that split up or migrate to states with more permissive medical marijuana laws, such as Colorado and Washington state.<\/span><\/p>\n
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One such family, the Wakelys of Rhinelander, Wisconsin, is having the hard debate on how to treat son Eli\u2019s aggressive epilepsy, as they search for access to marijuana strains rich in CBD. \u201cWe just want him to have a good life without seizures,\u201d adds Lynne Wakely.<\/span><\/p>\n
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- The Cannabis & the Cannabinoid Connection<\/a><\/li>\n